Taza is a chocolate factory, but I will resist the urge to make a Willy Wonka reference. We should realize that the “chocolate factory” in that famous kids book is really a candy factory that happens to work in chocolate. Chocolate as most of us know it, as an ingredient to encase caramels and fruity confections, is the product of a European tradition. Before this, in Central America, chocolate existed as a food in its own right, flavored perhaps with a bit of cinnamon or chili, but not adulterated with sweets.

Taza pays homage to this history by making and selling chocolate in the Mexican tradition. It’s grainier and darker than what you’d find in other shops; almost having this chalky taste if just eaten by itself. The factory is open for tours during the week, and you should check their website for a tour schedule, which I recommend if you’re interested in this different approach to chocolate making.  

While I do like eating Taza’s discs, they really come into their own when melted in a cup of scalding milk, forming a very nice, rich cup of cocoa. In the winter, it’s a small pleasure to sit inside with a cup of hot Taza chocolate while snow blows outside.